ATLANTA — Atlanta Police are warning the public after receiving several phone calls from people who said they have gotten a call from their precinct number - but that the person on the other end didn't appear to be police.
Police believe someone has "spoofed" the phone number of Zone 5's precinct - 404-658-7830 - and is now causing a commotion in the area. A spoof is essentially when someone makes a call look like it's coming from one number when it's really coming from another.
At least one call police got was from someone who was returning a missed call from their number - only to find out police never actually called them.
Police said that the person doesn't appear to have asked for personal information but a handful of callers said the person did ask an unusual question.
"Two others advised the person who called had inquired about a young girl," APD spokesperson Sgt. John Chafee said.
He added that it had become fairly clear, at that point, what was going on. And they want to make sure no one falls prey to this kind of trick.
"These scams are nothing new and they are often done to show the caller's number as being that of a government agency," he said.
Sgt. Chafee said that if you receive a phone call from anyone asking for personal information, make sure they are who they claim to be before providing anything.
"Be aware that simply verifying the number they appear to be calling from is not enough," he said.
Anyone who gets a suspicious call like this is asked to call their local precinct or 911 to report it.
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